172 shabu labs, drug dens dismantled, says PDEA

Authorities have dismantled a total of 172 clandestine shabu laboratories and drug dens in the country as part of the government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

This was bared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the official agency tasked to provide the “real numbers” operations and arrested personalities in line with the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs drive.

In its monthly update on “#RealNumbers”, PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino said from June 2016 up to Oct. 25, 2017, 163 drug dens and nine clandestine shabu laboratories were dismantled while different illegal drugs were seized worth P18.85 billion, with an increase of P11.57 million compared to last month.

As of Oct. 25, 2017, a total of 2,509.22 kilos of methamphet- amine hydrochloride, also known as “shabu,” with an estimated street value of P12.91 billion were seized, posting an increase of P11.38 million compared to 2,506.93 kilos seized last month with an estimated street value of P12.9 billion.

PDEA said authorities also arrested 117,044 individuals involved in illegal drugs from July 2016 to Oct. 25, 2017.

Included in the total figure are 420 government workers - 181 of them elected officials, 36 uniformed personnel, and 203 government employees.

Around 77,468 anti-illegal drugs operations were conducted by joint law enforcement agencies during the period.

As of Oct. 25, 2017, the consolidated report showed that 3,967 drug suspects have died during operations while 86 were killed in action and 225 wounded from the law enforcement agency during the anti-illegal drugs operations. Aside from PDEA, agencies involved in the anti-illegal drugs operations are the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) among others.

Law enforcement agencies rescued 589 minors during anti-illegal drugs operations from July 2016 to Oct. 25, 2017.

According to the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD), those rescued minors, after court proceedings, will be endorsed to the Bahay Pagasa centers of local government units (LGUs) within eight hours of police custody, before turning them over to the DSWD centers to undergo counseling to help them return to society.